Milestone: $80 Million And Climbing, Washington College Campaign Surpasses Fundraising Goals

Chestertown, MD, April 30, 2002 — Washington College's capital campaign has surpassed its original five-year $72 million goal and reached nearly $80 million. With almost two years left in the Campaign for Washington's College, the College intends to push on to its planned December 2003 completion, raising as much as possible prior to that date.

"With just two months remaining in the fiscal year, the College has surpassed funds raised last year for all purposes by $4 million, giving us confidence that the momentum of the Campaign will continue to produce record funding levels," said Jack Griswold, Chairman of the College's Board of Visitors and Governors and Chair of the Campaign. "Exceeding all expectations, even in uncertain financial times, the Campaign is enriching academic programs, strengthening the faculty, providing scholarships, and enhancing campus facilities."

Recent major gifts include a grant of $2.5 million from the State of Maryland for a new science building; a $2.4 million distribution from The Hodson Trust and $100,000 from the Clark Charitable Foundation, both for scholarships; and $525,237 from the estate of College alumnus, the late W. Kennon Perrin '31. This final distribution brings Colonel Perrin's total bequest to $5 million. Within the last month, the College also received $200,000 from Willard Hackerman of Whiting-Turner Contracting Company and $100,000 from alumnus Dr. Roy Ans '63 for the new science building with construction expected to begin in the next academic year. The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation also awarded $123,000 for the College's Center for Environment and Society.

To mark the success of the Campaign to date, the College will host a Milestone Celebration on May 18, 2002, for all donors to the Campaign at the 1782 Society $1,200 level and above, as well as descendants of the original subscribers to the first canvass that raised 10,000 pounds to launch the College in 1782. Actor Larry Hagman, whose family established the Mary Martin Drama Scholarship at Washington College in honor of his late mother, will attend the party and receive an honorary degree during the College's 220th Commencement on Sunday, May 19.

Washington College Appoints William Macintosh To Lead College Development, Fundraising

Chestertown, MD, April 26, 2002 — The President's Office and the Board of Visitors and Governors of Washington College are pleased to announce the appointment of William MacIntosh as Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations. MacIntosh will develop new financial resources for the College and continue to press the five-year Campaign for Washington's College to its planned completion in December 2003. The Campaign has already reached $80 million, surpassing its original five-year goal of $72 million.

MacIntosh brings more than 25 years in finance, fundraising and management experience to the College and will work to advance and to strengthen its network of corporate, foundation and individual support. He earned his degree in economics from Harvard College and his MBA from Harvard Business School. MacIntosh has been an independent financial consultant for Crown Central Petroleum and other firms over the past five years and previously served as Vice President of Financial Services for PHH Corporation, based in Hunt Valley, MD, where he managed the firm's financing and investments. Prior to this, MacIntosh served as Director of Treasury Services for Pepsico International in Purchase, NY, and was Vice President of Finance for the Nestlé Trading Corporation in Stamford, CT. He has also been active in the non-profit field as President of Sail Baltimore, the City's official, all-volunteer committee for visiting ships.

Heading the production of its OpSail Baltimore 2000, he worked with participating embassies, local and international corporations, and government agencies to organize this event that brought worldwide attention to Baltimore's rich maritime history and culture. He and his wife Kay, editor of STYLE magazine, currently live in Phoenix, MD, but are planning to relocate to the Eastern Shore with their two boys.

"I am really impressed with Bill's personal attributes and the high regard with which he is held; these strengths will lend themselves to success in this new position," said Jack Griswold, Chairman of the Board of Visitors and Governors of Washington College.

"Bill will be an outstanding leader in development at Washington College and a great asset for us as we work to open new avenues of funding," said Dr. John S. Toll, President of the College. "His proven expertise in management and his ability to build relationships will be invaluable as we move to complete the current Campaign for Washington's College."

MacIntosh will succeed Robert G. Smith, who will retire in June after leading the College's Development Office and directing the Campaign for Washington's College for four years. Smith has been instrumental in growing the College's total endowment from $25 million to well above $100 million and lifting the Campaign well above its original goal 20 months ahead of schedule. He will continue to act as a senior adviser to President Toll and the College's Development Office.

Congresswoman Connie Morella, Actor Larry Hagman To Be Honored At Washington College Commencement May 19th

Chestertown, MD, April 26, 2002 — Connie Morella (R-Md.) will be the keynote speaker at Washington College's 220th Commencement on Sunday, May 19, 2002. Congresswoman Morella will receive an Honorary Doctor of Public Service in recognition of her accomplishments in the public sector, and actor Larry Hagman, of Dallas fame, will be made an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts. Commencement begins at 10:30 a.m. on the campus lawn.

This Commencement will also see the awarding of the largest undergraduate literary prize in the nation—the Sophie Kerr Prize. A talented graduating senior will receive a check for $65,552 this year, the highest amount given in the 35-year history of the prize.

Congresswoman Morella represents Maryland's Eighth District and is currently serving her eighth consecutive term in the House of Representatives. Since first taking office in 1987, she has focused her legislative efforts on such issues as scientific research and development, education, the federal workforce, equity for women, the rights and needs of older Americans, international human rights and the environment. She chairs the Government Reform Subcommittee on the District of Columbia, has been a longstanding member of the Civil Service Subcommittee, and has been a long-term member of the House Science Committee, currently serving as a member of the Subcommittee on Environment, Technology, and Standards. She has been a national leader in enhancing computer security, in promoting the use of telemedicine and educational technology, and in forming national recommendations to address the underrepresentation of women, minorities and persons with disabilities in the science and technology workforce.

Congresswoman Morella is the former co-chair of the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues and is recognized nationally for her work on children's rights, domestic violence and women's health, educational and economic equity issues. Last year, her legislation to expand the Violence Against Women Act was signed into law, and she has established herself as a leader in the fight against HIV/AIDS in women with legislation focusing on research and prevention. Because of her work improving the lives of women, Congresswoman Morella was inducted into the Maryland Women's Hall of Fame, and Glamour magazine honored her as a "Woman of the Year." Active in international and human rights issues, Congresswoman Morella was the first woman to chair the Arms Control and Foreign Policy Caucus. She also represented the United States at the U.N. Conference on Population and Development in Cairo and co-chaired the congressional delegation to the U.N. Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing.

Before her election to Congress, Congresswoman Morella served for eight years in the Maryland House of Delegates. From 1970 to 1985, she was a professor in the English Department of Montgomery College in Rockville, MD. A resident of Montgomery County for 44 years, she lives in Bethesda with her husband, Tony, a law professor. Together they have raised nine children, including her late sister's six children.

From bumbling astronaut to ruthless Texas tycoon, Larry Hagman's acting career has been long and diverse. Hagman began his career on the stage following in the footsteps of his mother, the actress Mary Martin, with whom he appeared as a member of the chorus in the London production of "South Pacific." While in England, he joined the U.S. Air Force and married his wife Maj Axelsson in 1954. After completing military service, Hagman returned to New York to act is series of Broadway and off-Broadway plays and then moved to Hollywood to pursue television. Hagman's first big TV break came with "I Dream of Jeannie," which ran for five years. But it was not until 1977 with "Dallas" that Hagman's career took off, as he became America's most popular love-to-hate character—J. R. Ewing. The series ran for 13 series and the famous "Who Shot J.R.?" episode became the second highest rated TV show in history.

Off-screen, Hagman has contributed much of his time to the anti-smoking campaign of the American Cancer Society and has campaigned for the increased use of clean solar energy, particularly in developing nations and communities. His recent acting work has included Oliver Stone's "Nixon" (1995) and the film "Primary Colors" (1998). In 1997, Hagman visited Washington College to present the first annual Mary Martin Drama Scholarship, named in honor of his late mother and established by graduate Matthew Weir '90, grandson of the acclaimed actress.

College Announces Summer 2002 Graduate Courses In English, History, Psychology And Education

Chestertown, MD, April 23, 2002 — Students, educators and mental health workers are invited to register for Summer 2002 graduate courses at Washington College. The College offers Master's of Arts degrees in English, history and psychology. Graduate study is also available for K-12 teachers seeking to meet requirements for advanced professional certification.

The following courses will be offered during the Summer 2002 semester:

ENG 597-10 Post-Colonial English Literature, Mon./Wed., 7:00-9:30 p.m.
(Class begins May 6 and ends June 12, 2002)

ENG 599-10 20th Fiction Workshop, Tues./Thurs., 7:00-9:30 p.m.
(Class begins May 21 and ends June 27, 2002)

HIS 506-10 The United States Civil War, Mon./Wed., 7:00-9:30 p.m.

HIS 599-10 The Cold War in Europe and the U.S., Tues./Thurs., 7:00-9:30 p.m.
(Class begins June 11 and ends July 30, 2002)

PSY 501-10 Infancy and Childhood, Tues./Thurs., 7:00-9:30 p.m.

PSY 508-10 Research Methods and Advanced Statistics, Mon./Wed., 7:00-9:30 p.m.

Except where otherwise noted, classes begin June 3 and end July 26, 2002. Students must pre-register by May 22, 2002 to guarantee texts. Tuition is $730 per course plus a non-refundable course registration fee of $40. Pre-registration forms will be accepted at the Registrar's Office in person, by mail, by phone at 410-778-7299, or by fax at 410-810-7159.

For complete information on Washington College's graduate course offerings, including detailed course descriptions and registration forms, visit http://grad.washcoll.edu online, or contact the Registrar's Office, Washington College, 300 Washington Avenue, Chestertown, MD 21620, phone 410-778-7299.

Washington College also hosts graduate courses for K-12 teachers through the Regional Training Center. Tuition is $675 for each three-credit course, plus a $50 deposit. For course or registration information, contact the Regional Training Center at 1-800-433-4740 or online atwww.RegionalTrainingCenter.org.

Sophie Kerr Winner Stephanie Fowler To Read From Her Works Reunion/Commencement Weekend

Chestertown, MD, April 23, 2002 — Stephanie Fowler, a 2001 alumna of Washington College and the recipient of last year's Sophie Kerr Prize, will read from her collection "Chesapeake Life" on Saturday, May 18 during Commencement/Reunion weekend at Washington College. The reading will be held in the O'Neill Literary House from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Fowler's winning submission for the 2001 Sophie Kerr Prize was a book of creative nonfiction entitled "Crossings: A Journey into God's Country," in which she addresses issues of conflict, struggle, and survival in her native Eastern Shore, Maryland, culture. "Chesapeake Life" represents a continuation of her works about the Eastern Shore region and its inhabitants.

The awarding of the Sophie Kerr Prize, given annually to the graduating senior who demonstrates the greatest "ability and promise for future fulfillment in the field of literary endeavor," has in recent decades been a highlight of the commencement ceremony at Washington College. The Prize, worth over $65,000 this year, is among the largest literary awards in the world. Washington College has awarded more than three-quarters of a million dollars in prize money since it was first given in 1968, most often to writers of poetry and fiction.

Stephanie Fowler Biography

I was born on May 11, 1979. I was born and raised on the Lower Shore of Maryland, just a few miles southeast of Salisbury. My father's family – with the exception of my paternal grandfather – are all from the Somerset and Wicomico area. My mother's side is from Worcester and Accomack Counties. So, my roots span the lower shore and run pretty deep. (My aunt has tracked our genealogy, and from all accounts, my mother's side has been in this area for some time.) I love the Eastern Shore. This is my home. I have every intention of staying in this area, and some day, I hope to find a nice house in the country where I can sit on a big porch and watch thunderstorms and fireflies.

I've got a very close relationship with both of my parents and my younger sister. My father, Bruce Fowler, is a paramedic with the City of Salisbury Fire Department. He's a great storyteller, and I like to think that's where I picked up the habit. My mother, Jacki Fowler, is retired but she was a nurse and later the assistant director of Respiratory Care at PRMC. Together, my parents own Lifestar Ambulance in Salisbury – an Eastern Shore business that's been in operation for 15 years and still going strong. She is my number one research assistant and she keeps me grounded. My sister, Kristen Fowler, is 4 years younger than I am, and she is a college student. We are a close family, and I wouldn't want it any other way.

Besides writing and reading, I enjoy fishing, boating, sports, traveling, being outdoors and with friends and family. I like going on walks with my dog, Shiloh – a golden retriever / basset hound. I feel the most connected and the most inspired when I am outdoors. Nature gets to me. And it may sound strange, but I truly enjoy doing research. I love digging through the past to see what I can come up, to see what I can find. Old newspapers, dusty attics, faded photographs, postcards, tiptoeing through a grave yard, having long conversations with those who know of events first-hand…I can get lost like that. Research seems to get my blood flowing.

Education

I graduated in 1997 from Parkside High School in Salisbury (Wicomico County). I was a three year member of the National Honor Society and overall, I did pretty well. I graduated in the top 20% of my class. Basically, high school is high school.

I applied early decision to Washington College because it was exactly where I wanted to go. I had no doubts about that. As soon as I saw the campus and took a visit, I just felt like that's where I had to go, and the more I learned about Washington College, I knew that it was where I had to be. What attracted me to the school was the reputation of the institution as well as the outstanding reputation of the writing program with its Sophie Kerr prize. Washington College offered a Creative Writing Minor, which was very attractive to me because I knew all along that I was going to be an English major. I also knew I would have the opportunity to play varsity athletics – I had played sports all my life and knew that I wanted to continue to do so in college. But like I said, I knew from the very beginning that Washington College was the place for me – even though I failed to win the freshman Sophie Kerr scholarship.

So, throughout my four years, I took several creative writing courses in addition to my regular English courses. I wrote for both newspapers at Washington College. Our weekly paper was called The Elm, and I was a sports writer. Our monthly newsmagazine was called The Collegian, and I wrote features articles. Before graduation, I learned that I had received departmental honors for my thesis - a collection of creative non-fiction short stories about the Eastern Shore. I also learned that I would graduate Magna Cum Laude. At graduation, I was #16 or #17 in my class for those graduating with a B.A. Then, I won Sophie Kerr. Wow. At $62,099.34 it is the largest undergraduate literary award in the country. I'm still just totally blown away.

Literally minutes after graduation I was pulled into a media conference with reporters and a phone interview with the Associated Press. Winning the Sophie Kerr prize garnered me quite a bit of attention. Before I even got home after graduation, my story was already on the national wire service. Television and radio stations from Salisbury to Baltimore and D.C. broadcast the news while papers all over Maryland had my name in headlines. I was even in papers as far out as Texas and Michigan. The Baltimore Sun ran three stories about me; The Washington Post had two; The New York Times picked up the Associated Press story about me; and even the Daily Times – my hometown paper – had two. An excerpt from one of my stories was featured in Chesapeake Life magazine. Maryland Public Television produced a small segment about me on one of their shows, “Artworks This Week”.

But what I was most happy about was all the local people who have written me letters and sent cards and newspaper clippings, saying that they were proud of me. Their words meant so much to me.

During my sophomore year of college, I took a course in Creative Non-Fiction, a style I was completely unfamiliar with. I enjoyed the course and in a way, had an awakening. Before that course, I had been dabbling in fiction and poetry, trying to find something that worked for me, but nothing really fit. Creative non-fiction clicked for me, and finally, I felt at home with a writing style. This is perhaps one of the greatest discoveries I have had as a writer.

One of the main reasons why I enjoy creative non-fiction so much is that it allows me as a storyteller, as a writer, to reveal myself to the reader. With this style, the reader gets me and history at the same time. I want my readers to feel like they have developed a relationship with me as well as with my work. That is important to me.

When the time came for me to start looking seriously at my senior thesis, and what I wanted to choose to work on, the choice was absolutely clear. I knew without a doubt that I was going to write about the Eastern Shore, about my home.

Because I'm from the Eastern Shore – born and raised – certain themes are important to me - issues of conflict, man vs. nature, survival, landscape. I can't help but write about the Eastern Shore. Creative non-fiction provides me with a vehicle to truly bring to life this place that I love. I intend to continue writing about the Eastern Shore, and even do more critical non-fiction works as well. I just don't want the culture and richness of this area to go untapped or unwritten or unknown. It's too beautiful and complicated to leave alone.

Current Career

After graduation and after winning the award, I was caught up in a dream and I wasn't being very productive. I needed to find something to reground myself in reality. A job will definitely do that for you. So, I accepted a position with the Epilepsy Association of the Eastern Shore as Director of Public Affairs. The Epilepsy Association is a non-profit organization that provides services for the nine counties of Maryland's Eastern Shore. They work with people who have epilepsy and developmental disabilities, and provide those clients with residential, financial, clinical, recreational, and educational programs. It was a nice job for me because it was pretty laid-back, low stress, and at the same time, I was helping to make a difference in the lives of others.

But after a while, the writing itch came back to me, and eventually, I decided to leave the Epilepsy Association and pursue writing full-time. I had been longing to throw myself into research and writing and traveling. Everyone I know has been supportive of this move, and I truly feel it is where I belong. I believe that researching and writing about the Eastern Shore is exactly what I should be doing at this point in my life. I'm more than thrilled to be doing what I love. After all, the biggest dream of my entire life has been to be a full-time writer. Now, that's exactly what I am.

Currently, I am working on the collection that won the 2001 Sophie Kerr prize. I wanted to make some changes to it before I begin submitting seriously to publishers. The collection that won the prize was good for my thesis, but if this is going to be seen in a book format, then there are a few things about the collection that need to be changed. Those changes are mostly as follows: I am pulling one story out completely and inserting a new story, making revisions to the existing stories, and adding more reference material to my already long list of works cited.

Future Goals

I want to do some serious non-fiction work, interviewing some of the older people in the area and do a collection of their stories in their own words. I know a great photographer who I'd definitely enlist to capture their faces as well. That's one project I've set out for myself. Right now, I've waiting on some offers about agents and publishing. I'm not rushing into it because I want to make sure, absolutely sure, that I'm choosing the right one. But one thing is for sure - agent or no agent, publishing or no publishing, I will continue to write the stories of the Eastern Shore. Something in me just won't let it go.

Crossings: A Journey Into God's Country

This is the name I gave to the collection. At approximately 160 pages, it is comprised of five short stories based on people, places, and events of the Eastern Shore, and these stories are written in the creative non-fiction style. Most people ask what creative non-fiction is. I think the best way to explain it to people is that creative non-fiction is the way your grandfather or grandmother told stories. They were talking about real people or places or events (non-fiction) but they infused those stories with another quality – insight, imagination, feeling, emotion, a creative response in the re-weaving of the story. Think of it as a truly interesting history book or a ghost story that you swear by.

"The Storyteller" — The first small story is about me. I introduce myself to the reader as the storyteller of the collection. I introduce my relationships to the people in and around the stories. It's a short essay, and I wax a little poetic in it.

"The Curse of Franklin" — The second story is about a ghost town in Accomack County, Virginia. Once widely known as Franklin City, it is now little more than mounds of oyster shells, rotting buildings, and ghosts of all things passed. I chronicled the history of this seafood boomtown because the notion of a hometown dying was fascinating to me.

"And Justice For All" — The third story is the infamous Pilchard murder case. In February of 1940, the small village of Stockton was rocked with the bloody murder of Harvey Pilchard and the rape and near-fatal shooting of his wife, Annie. A massive manhunt for the felons was launched and involved every one from the townsfolk, local and regional police forces, and even the governor of Maryland. The story details the entire crime from the events preceding the crime to the trial to current day status.

"Sons of the Chesapeake" — The fourth story is centered on the Chesapeake Bay oyster wars and state line debate between Maryland and Virginia. The effects it had on one particular Crisfield family, the Nelsons, highlight the history of the struggle. Many people remembered the day that Earl Nelson was brought into the harbor, fatally shot by a Virginia fisheries policeman. The history of the oyster wars and old-line debate has loomed over the horizon for centuries.

"Daniela's Story" — The fifth and final story of this collection is a bit of an anomaly. It tells the story of my best friend in the world, Daniela Rados. She and her family miraculously survived and escaped the war in the Balkans. Born and raised in Croatia, Daniela moved with her family to Bosnia in the early 1990s. A year and a half later, the war disrupted their lives and the Rados family was never the same again. This story is perhaps one of the most special to me, and although it doesn't sound like it belongs, I can assure you that it does for several reasons. A major element to this story is my relationship with Daniela, and how an Eastern Shore country girl finds a common ground with this beautiful and exotic child of Europe. There are many parallels that are drawn between Croatia and the Eastern Shore. It's an amazing story. I can't wait to work on it again.

These stories are followed by five pages of Works Cited and a special Acknowledgements page in which I pay tribute to many of the people who helped me create this collection.

Cajun Poet Beverly Matherne To Read From Her Works Thursday, April 25th

Chestertown, MD, April 19, 2002 — The Sophie Kerr Lecture Series at Washington College is pleased to present a reading by Cajun French poet Beverly Matherne on Thursday, April 25, 2002, at 4 p.m. in the College's Norman James Theatre. She will also present the lecture "The Spirit Behind the Words: Translating the Poetry of Stanley Kunitz," Friday, April 26 at 2:30 p.m. in the Sophie Kerr Room of the Miller Library. Both events are free and the public is invited to attend.

Born in Cajun Country west of New Orleans, Matherne grew up with the rich oral tradition and music of her region: Cajun, country western, blues and jazz. From writing in Cajun French to performing blues poetry, these influences have shaped her work. Her poetry has received national and international attention. She did an hour-long interview on NPR with Grace Cavalieri on her show "The Poet and the Poem" and has performed three times in French on CBC Radio Canada Internationale. From the Maple Leaf Bar in New Orleans to the United Nations in New York, she has delivered over 100 readings across the United States, Canada, and France. Since 1993, when she began to focus on poetry, she has won six first-place awards, including the Hackney Literary Award for Poetry at the Writing Today Conference in Birmingham, AL, and three first-place prizes at the Deep South Writers Conference at the University of Louisiana. In addition, she has received three Pushcart Prize nominations.

Matherne's fourth collection of poetry in facing pages of Cajun French and English, "Le blues braillant" (The Blues Cryin'), from Cross-Cultural Communications in New York, was released at World Acadian Congress in 1999. The blues collection, also available in CD format with guitar and fiddle accompaniment, is preceded by three books of free verse: "La Grande Pointe" (Grand Point), also from Cross-Cultural, 1995; "Images cadiennes" (Cajun Images) from Ridgeway Press, Detroit, 1994; and "Je me souviens de la Louisiane" (I Remember Louisiana), from March Street Press, Greensboro, NC, 1994. She recently translated into French a book of poetry by former U.S. Poet Laureate Stanley Kunitz, which is scheduled for publication this summer by Cross-Cultural Communications.

The poet received her Ph.D. in Drama from St. Louis University and M.A. and B.A. degrees in English from University of Louisiana, at Lafayette. Matherne is a tenured, full professor on the M.F.A. writing faculty in the English Department at Northern Michigan University.

Award Winning Nuclear Chemist To Address Imaging Drug Addiction In The Human Brain

Chestertown, MD, April 19, 2002 — The Washington College Chapter of Sigma Xi and the Department of Chemistry, as part of the Women in Science Lecture Series, present, "IMAGING DRUG ADDICTION IN THE HUMAN BRAIN," a talk by Joanna S. Fowler, Ph.D., recipient of the 2002 Glenn T. Seaborg Award in Nuclear Chemistry, and Senior Chemist at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL). The lecture will be held on Tuesday April 23, 2002, at 7:30 p.m. in Litrenta Lecture Hall of Dunning Hall. The public is invited to attend.

Dr. Fowler has been a pioneer in the development of organic compounds labeled with radioactive isotopes and their use in medicine. Her work in the synthesis of F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) has led to the rapid growth of positron emission tomography (PET) as a diagnostic tool for brain mapping. Her work with C-11 labeled cocaine led to the first assessment of the mechanistic action of cocaine in the human brain. In addition, her brain mapping studies have provided new insight into the behavioral and epidemiological effects of smoking.

Dr. Fowler received a bachelor's degree in chemistry in 1964 from the University of South Florida, Tampa, and a Ph.D. in chemistry in 1967 from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Her long and distinguished career at BNL followed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of East Anglia. Dr. Fowler's many awards include the 1998 Francis P. Garvin-John L. Olin Medal of the American Chemical Society, established in 1936 to honor distinguished service to chemistry by U.S. women chemists; the 1997 Paul Aebersold Award of the Society of Nuclear Medicine; the1999 E. O. Lawrence Award of the Department of Energy.

Assessing The Revolutionary Generation: Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Joseph J. Ellis To Lecture At Washington College

Chestertown, MD, April 17, 2002 — The C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience presents "ASSESSING THE REVOLUTIONARY GENERATION," a lecture by historian Joseph J. Ellis. The event is free and the public is invited to attend.

NOTE, 4/22/02: THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELED.

Joseph Ellis was educated at William and Mary and Yale University, and taught history at Mount Holyoke for nearly thirty years. He is the author of The New England Mind in Transition, School for Soldiers: West Point and the Profession of Arms (with Robert Moore), and Passionate Sage: The Character and Legacy of John Adams. His book American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson won the 1997 National Book Award, and in 2001, he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation. The New York Times Book Review called Founding Brothers "A splendid book- humane, learned, written with flair and radiant with a calm intelligence and wit," while Gordon S. Wood remarked that "Ellis has established himself as the Founders' historian for our time."

The C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience is an innovative forum for new scholarship about American history. Drawing on the special historical strengths of Washington College and Chestertown, the Center is dedicated to exploring the early republic, the rise of democracy, and the manifold ways in which the founding era continues to shape American culture. News about other upcoming events is available on-line at http://starrcenter.washcoll.edu/, or call Program Manager Kees de Mooy at 410-810-7156.

If They Don't Eat You, They'll Shoot You: Botanist Publishes Definitive Book On Triggerplants

Chestertown, MD, April 12, 2002 — Triggerplants, nature's quick drawing, gunslingers, have been relatively unknown to most naturalists and horticulturalists in the Northern Hemisphere. But Dr. Douglas Darnowski, assistant professor of biology at Washington College on Maryland's Eastern Shore, hopes to make these unusual floras better known to and more widely cultivated by plant lovers. His new book, "Triggerplants", has just been released by Rosenberg Publishing of New South Wales, Australia.

Triggerplants get their name from the unique trigger mechanism that they employ, called a "column," to deposit pollen on unsuspecting insect interlopers. The columns use an electrochemical process to bend and store energy, much like an extended bow, waiting to strike a landed insect.

"These plants are amazingly precise," says Darnowski, who recently co-founded the International Triggerplant Society to promote knowledge of and appreciation for these species. "Many species of triggerplants use the same insects as pollinators, but given a species-specific configuration of their columns, they each strike the insect at a different point on its body and thereby avoid constant hybridization. The plants also direct the way in which an insect lands on them by the orientation of their petals."

Triggerplants, Darnowski notes, might also have a carnivorous nature and usually share the same environments and grow in the same poor soils favored by other accepted carnivorous plants. Like the sundew, these plants utilize sticky tendrils to capture and to digest small insects, possibly to supplement their diets. But triggerplants do not eat the same bugs that they "shoot" to carry their pollen, says Darnowski. Large insects help them to spread their pollen, while smaller insects are trapped and eaten by the sticky, glandular hairs.

Most of the world's triggerplant species are found in Western Australia, which is home to over 100 different kinds, but related species can be found in Central and Southeast Asia, Japan and New Guinea. Darnowski hopes that his book will take triggerplants out of the exotic climes of Australia and Asia and into greenhouses and gardens worldwide.

"I encourage horticulturalists to cultivate new plants from seed," he says. "This ensures native plants and their natural habitats are not disturbed. Cultivating triggerplants from seed in a garden or greenhouse is not that difficult, even in most North American climes. They have an innate toughness and are attractive and easy to grow, hardy to cold and drought resistant. They even have a number of features which suggest that they would make good garden plants, unlikely to become new, invasive species."

"Triggerplants" is profusely illustrated with photographs and drawings, and includes a list of triggerplant suppliers. The book will be available for purchase through Amazon.com and BN.com by July 2002.

WC Gospel Choir Hosts Annual Spring Concert April 27th

Chestertown, MD, April 9, 2002 — The Washington College Gospel Choir, directed by Reverend Eric Scott, presents "BE GLORIFIED," an annual Spring Concert on Saturday, April 27, 2002, in the Norman James Theatre, William Smith Hall, at 6:30 p.m. The concert is open to the public. Admission to the concert is free.

The Washington College Gospel Choir, now in its fifth year, is a vibrant and exciting Christian group, formed by two students in 1997. The group meets once per week for rehearsals, prayer, Bible readings, praise, and interdenominational fellowship. Under the direction of Rev. Scott, the choir performs numerous concerts throughout the academic year in various locations, bringing both traditional and contemporary gospel music to the campus and surrounding communities.

Membership is open to students, faculty, staff and community members. The choir consists of members from many states, including Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Massachusetts, Arizona, Louisiana and Colorado. The choir also has members from as far away as Alaska and Japan.

Washington College To Award Nation's Largest Undergraduate Literary Prize May 19th

Talented Senior To Walk Away With $65,000

Chestertown, MD, April 8, 2002 — The winner of the Sophie Kerr Prize—the largest undergraduate literary prize in the nation—will be announced at Washington College's 220th Commencement on Sunday, May 19, 2002. A talented graduating senior will receive a check for $65,552 this year, the highest amount given in the 35-year history of the prize. Approximately 20 Washington College students working variously on novels, short fiction, nonfiction and poetry compete for this lucrative prize in any given year. The competition is limited to Washington College seniors.

The Sophie Kerr Prize was established by the will of the late Sophie Kerr, who began her career as a woman's page editor for the Pittsburgh Chronicle Telegraph and Pittsburgh Gazette and as managing editor of the Woman's Home Companion. During her lifetime, Ms. Kerr was a prolific, working writer who authored more than 100 stories and 23 novels. Her stories appeared in most of the popular American magazines of the first half of the twentieth century, including the Saturday Evening Post, Collier's, Saturday Review of Literature, McCall's and Newsweek.Chestertown, MD, April 8, 2002 — The winner of the Sophie Kerr Prize—the largest undergraduate literary prize in the nation—will be announced at Washington College's 220th Commencement on Sunday, May 19, 2002. A talented graduating senior will receive a check for $65,552 this year, the highest amount given in the 35-year history of the prize. Approximately 20 Washington College students working variously on novels, short fiction, nonfiction and poetry compete for this lucrative prize in any given year. The competition is limited to Washington College seniors.

Born in Denton, Md., Ms. Kerr used the Eastern Shore of Maryland as the backdrop for many of her stories. In 1942, as part of a celebration of the 50th anniversary of coeducation at Washington College, she was invited to campus to accept an honorary degree along with Eleanor Roosevelt.

When Ms. Kerr died at age 84 in 1965, her will revealed an abiding regard for her honorary alma mater: she left the bulk of her estate to Washington College. The terms of the will specified that one half of the income from her bequest be awarded every year to the senior showing the most "ability and promise for future fulfillment in the field of literary endeavor." During the 34 years that the Sophie Kerr Prize has been awarded its worth has varied from $9,000 to this year's high of $65,000. It is believed to be the largest undergraduate cash prize in the country and among the largest literary awards in the world. Former Sophie Kerr Prize winners are now published novelists, poets, journalists, editors and teachers.

Washington College Offers Summer Field School In Archaeology For Students And Adults

Fieldwork To Focus On Eastern Shore Birthplace Of Harriet Tubman

Chestertown, MD, April 5, 2002 — The Washington College Department of Sociology and Anthropology is offering a six-week summer archaeological field school from June 3 to July 12, 2002. The eight-credit program is open to both college students and adults and will teach excavation and lab techniques, remote sensing, and mapping and surveying of archaeological sites using both theodolite and GPS. Hands-on fieldwork will be augmented by lectures, laboratory work and trips to local sites and museums.

The course will be taught by Dr. John Seidel, assistant professor of anthropology and environmental studies and an expert on Maryland archaeology and historic preservation, and Bonnie Ryan, Jessie Ball DuPont Scholar in sociology and anthropology at the College. Fieldwork will focus on one of the most significant African-American historical sites in Maryland—the birthplace of Harriet Tubman in Dorchester County on the Eastern Shore.Chestertown, MD, April 5, 2002 — The Washington College Department of Sociology and Anthropology is offering a six-week summer archaeological field school from June 3 to July 12, 2002. The eight-credit program is open to both college students and adults and will teach excavation and lab techniques, remote sensing, and mapping and surveying of archaeological sites using both theodolite and GPS. Hands-on fieldwork will be augmented by lectures, laboratory work and trips to local sites and museums.

"This is a hands-on course," said Dr. Seidel. "Much work remains to be done to record and document African-American history in Maryland. Students participating in this course will have a direct role in this process."

There is no formal deadline, but interested students are encouraged to apply early. Limited housing on the Washington College campus will be provided to enrollees on a first-come, first-served basis. Students must enroll in ANT 296 Section 10 and 11, Archaeological Field School. Each section carries four credits. Tuition for the eight-credit program is $1,950, excluding housing costs.

For more information and registration forms, contact Dr. John Seidel at 410-778-7756, or via e-mail john.seidel@washcoll.edu; or Bonnie Ryan, 410-810-7493.

Author To Address The Growing Threat To Civil Liberties In America At April 17th Talk

Chestertown, MD, April 4, 2002 — The Goldstein Program in Public Affairs at Washington College and the Campus Events and Visitors Committee present "THE GROWING THREAT TO CIVIL LIBERTIES IN THE USA: FROM NIXON TO 9/11," a lecture by Christian Parenti, author of "Lockdown America: Police and Prisons in the Age of Crisis." The talk will be held on Wednesday, April 17, 2002, at 7 p.m. in the Hynson Lounge. The event is free and the public is invited to attend.

Dr. Parenti is a graduate of the New School for Social Research and holds a Ph.D. in sociology form the London School of Economics and Political Science. His work has focused on the economic and social injustices of the war on crime, militarized policing, corrections and prisons. His recent book, "Lockdown America" (Verso, 2000), takes a long, critical look at the threat of an American criminal justice system eclipsing individual rights. When over 1.7 million Americans live in prisons; with one third of all young Black men in major urban areas in jail, on probation or awaiting sentencing; when spending on prisons in some states eclipses spending for higher education; and when prisons and prison labor become lucrative ventures for private corporations, Lockdown America asks what social and economic agendas are propelling America toward a "Big Brother" police state mentality.

Dr. Parenti teaches at the New College of California in San Francisco, and he has worked as a radio journalist in Central America, New York and California. His writing has appeared in The Nation, The Progressive, In These Times and The Christian Science Monitor, and his forthcoming book, "The Soft Cage: A History of Everyday Surveillance," will be released in 2003.

Washington College's Goldstein Program in Public Affairs is named in honor of the late Louis L. Goldstein, the College's former Chairman of the Board of Visitors and Governors, a 1935 alumnus, and Maryland's longest serving elected official. The Goldstein Program sponsors lecture series, symposia, visiting fellows, travel and other projects that bring students and faculty together with leaders in public policy.

Mendelssohn String Quartet To Close 2001-2002 Washington College Concert Series April 12th

Chestertown, MD, April 1, 2002 — The Washington College Concert Series closes its 2001-2002 season with a performance by the Mendelssohn String Quartet, Friday, April 12, 2002, at 8:00 p.m. in the College's Tawes Theatre, Gibson Performing Arts Center. This golden anniversary season of the Washington College Concert Series has been dedicated to cofounders Helen S. Gibson of Chestertown, wife of the late Daniel Z. Gibson, president of Washington College from 1950 to 1970, and the late Robert L. Forney of Chestertown, former chair of the concert series committee who supported it financially for many years.

In two decades of spirited playing and innovative programming, the Mendelssohn String Quartet has emerged as an ensemble with a distinct and energetic musical voice infused with a unique depth of interpretation. Touring North America and Europe annually, the quartet holds the esteemed position of Artist Faculty at the North Carolina School of the Arts and the appointment of Blodgett Artists-in-Residence at Harvard University. The members have a strong commitment to contemporary music and have given world premieres of works commissioned for and by them. The Los Angeles Times wrote, "The Mendelssohnians played with fierce physicality and emotional abandon, intelligent insight and supreme technique." According to the The Boston Globe: "Their infinitely varied articulations, gestures, colors and rhythmic ductility must be hard won but seem completely spontaneous. They are simply not to be missed."

Single admission tickets for the Washington College Concert Series are available at the Tawes Theatre box office before performances and are $15.00 for adults and $5.00 for youth 18 years of age and under. For more information and a program for the upcoming 2002-2003 season, contact the Washington College Concert Series, 300 Washington Avenue, Chestertown, MD 21620-1197, or call 410-778-7839.

Boylan To Speak On The Origin Of Women's Activism

Chestertown, MD, April 1, 2002 — The C. V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience at Washington College presents "Women in Groups: The Early History of American Women's Volunteer Associations," a lecture by Anne Boylan, Associate Professor of History at the University of Delaware, on Friday, April 5, 2002 at 4 p.m. in the Custom House, 101 S. Water Street, Chestertown.

The event is free and the public is invited to attend.

In her talk, Anne Boylan will take listeners back to the very beginnings of women's voluntary activism, to the decades immediately following the American Revolution when permanent women's organizations first emerged in Northern cities. The talk will describe a broad range of associations founded by New York and Boston women of varied racial and religious backgrounds, and it will offer a glimpse into the lives of organizational leaders. Based on her forthcoming book, "The Origins of Women's Activism: New York and Boston, 1797-1840" (University of North Carolina Press, 2002), this presentation draws from extensive research into the histories of about seventy-five women's organizations and the lives of about 1100 women leaders.

The C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience at Washington College opened in Fall 2001 to encourage the broad study of American history and culture and the ways we give daily new meaning to what George Washington called "the great experiment." In keeping with the special history and character of Washington College, the Center focuses on the nation's founding moment, ideals and experiences by highlighting contemporary scholarship and research in these areas. For more information, visit starrcenter.washcoll.eduor call 410-810-7156.